A comprehensive land and water strategy for sustainable agriculture will be a major area of work for Environment Waikato in the next financial year, and will need to take into account a wide range of economic and environmental issues.

The pest plant tutsan has become a major problem around Taumarunui and Ruapehu near the regional border and is starting to move aggressively into neighbouring Waikato areas, says Environment Waikato’s biosecurity team.

With river and catchment management being a key role in the Waikato, the regional council is strongly encouraging people to put their names forward to be their community’s representatives on Environment Waikato’s catchment liaison sub-committees.